Parksville council has given the green light to a zoning and bylaw amendment for a new residential development across the street from Wembley Mall.
The 1.04-hectare property, at 413 Wembley Rd., will be rezoned as high-density residential ahead of construction on a two-building, 116-unit development at the intersection of Wembley Road and Church Road.
Coun. Joel Grenz said he appreciates the development’s design will encourage a sense of community.
“The downstream benefits and cost savings to government from having a strong community are — they’re not easy to quantify, but they’re very high,” he said. “So I appreciate any effort any developer does to to ensure that the community they’re creating ultimately with their housing is one that can be self-resilient.”
Coun. Amit Gaur said he opposes the rezoning because the development will fragment the wildlife corridor, is not beneficial for groundwater recharge and will remove numerous trees.
“The Coastal Douglas-fir, if you look at the list of the trees that will be cut down, those are the most endangered ecosystem in B.C.,” he said during council’s Nov. 20 meeting.
Gaur added he would have considered a vote in favour if the proposal included retention of 25 per cent of the Coastal Douglas-firs.
Mayor Doug O’Brien said he the supports the project “100 per cent”, and added Parksville needs housing and is under pressure, like many B.C. municipalities, to come up with more proposals.
“The reality is the government has threatened to take away the ability of councils and so forth to make these kind of decisions,” O’Brien said. “And I believe it’s prudent for us to make the decisions for all the reasons, all the benefits, not just to satisfy a few.”
READ MORE: Parksville development public hearing draws concerned residents
The project by Highstreet Ventures is planned to be powered 100 per cent by electricity, partially drawn from on-site solar panels, which will cover about three-quarters of the buildings’ roofs.
Conceptual plans show both surface level and underground parking, as well as indoor bicycle storage. Electric vehicle charging stations will be provided. The buildings are planned to meet Step 4 of the BC Energy Step Code.
Coun. Mary Beil said she shares the concern about the loss of trees, but appreciates that the proposal allows for a tree buffer between the proposed development and the neighbouring houses.
“I have actually wrestled quite a bit with this proposal following the public hearing, however particularly noticing the concerns about traffic,” she said.
Increased traffic, trees being cut down, water shortages and strain on the fire department were all concerns brought up by residents during a public hearing on Nov. 6.
Beil said Church Road is a collector road, and not a local road, so it can be expected to see higher levels of traffic, and that is a concern that can be mitigated in the future if necessary.
She added that increased density means less urban sprawl.
“Sprawl is particularly hard on water usage, on increasing transportation stresses and also increasing loss of forest,” Beil said.
Whether the units end up for rent or for sale will be determined when they are ready for the market, according to Highstreet Ventures.
Council voted to give the amendment third reading, with Gaur opposed.